For people born in the 90s, it is pardonable to grow up thinking the club was named after him.
Arsene Wenger was that Iconic and influential that his own profile overshadowed the entire club.
It wasn’t like that when he arrived in the summer of 1996, infact, he was so unknown that the British media asked “Arsene Who?” when his name emerged as the new manager of London side Arsenal FC.
But 21 years later, 4 league titles and multiple domestic silver ware, the most important of which is the year of the “Invincibles”, when he guided the team to an unbeaten campaign in 2003/04, a landmark achievement that has not been matched by any other club or manager in England till now.
He also initiated and led the club to it’s new ground from the old Highbury to the now famous Emirates Stadium. All these he did during his reign as manager. The journey finally ended in 2019 in a somewhat sad ending as calls for him to step down became too much due to lack of silver ware on the field of play.
Ever since he left, he has refused to manage any other club and instead took up a role with football highest governing body: FIFA. One thing is clear though, he is not short of suitors if he wants to manage any club side, and secondly, that he is still very much in love with Arsenal.
Current manager, Arteta, who he bought from Everton and later made captain of the side has not hidden his administration for his former boss; Wenger, same way most who played under him do. He was seen as not just a coach, but a father figure ,hence, their loyalty and respect for the French man till now.
And when the pair met at the premier of the Invisibles Movie in honour of that memorable undefeated campaign, it was gathered that calls for him to come back to the team were discussed under hush tones.
To corroborate those claims, Mikel Arteta in his latest media round confirmed to reporters that he was in contact with Wenger for him to come back in some capacity to help the club.
He said the respect he commands around the club will help the team when he comes back either as an ambassador or any other role.
Arteta who just recently mounted a large size portrait of Wenger at the entrance of the club’s training ground clearly thinks his presence is a positive for the team.
But, considering that Wenger’s footballing ideas were later condemned as outdated during his later stages of his reign, will those same ideas now fit into the rebuilding that Arteta is trying to achieve?
Is it not better for him to just stay away and maintain his legacy, than for the 72 year old to risk everything in getting mixed up with the club running?
I personally think he should stay away and allow for the new path the club is following to be fully established first before mixing it with his so called outdated approach!
What do you think? Should Wenger return to the club? Yah or Nay?
